Clapp Memorial Library

Servas
2025-04-26 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Are you interested in having a greater cultural experience when you travel in the US or abroad? Do you have commitments preventing you from traveling yet you are still looking to make connections with the world? Are you 18 to 30 years of age and want a language or cultural immersion experience? Perhaps Servas is for you?
Servas connects hosts and travelers from over 100 countries to provide a network for its members to build friendships and broaden their understanding of the world. Are you interested in learning more about what Servas can offer you? Join this informational session where current members share their experiences and answer your questions about hosting and travelling.

Afterschool Adventures: Enter the Abomination Vaults
2025-04-29 14:30 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Afterschool Adventures: Enter the Abomination Vaults
Calling all Belchertown Students for Afterschool D&D
Tuesdays, 2:30-4:00PM, April 29th, May 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th, and June 3rd
Grab your dice and join us for our Spring Teen D&D Campaign!
Something is stirring in the ruins of the Haruvex manor, abandoned since heroes defeated the evil sorcerer Belcorra Haruvex. But now a strange light glimmers in the Gauntlight tower, and brave adventurers are needed once again. What will you find as you enter the Keep? What treasures and dangers await as you delve into the hidden dungeon levels below?
No experience necessary. For teens in grades 7-12.
Program will run weekly starting April 29th for Middle & Highschool Students. Participants may bring their own nut-free snacks. Please inform Librarian & Game Master Tegan Mannino, if there is a day you will not attend.
Space is limited! Register here: https://forms.gle/uKYV3SEaasr5tK1Y8
Confirmations will be sent out to students confirming enrollment or waitlist status.
Please email any questions to tmannino@cwmars.org

Fairy Seats & Future Sculpture: Creative Play at Lake Wallace
2025-05-02 16:30 - 17:30 | Parks & Recreation, 66 State Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Imagination and nature will come together at Lake Wallace on Friday, May 2, from 4:30–5:30 PM for Fairy Seats & Future Sculpture: Creative Play at Lake Wallace, a free, all-ages event inviting the community to spark creativity and collaboration in the outdoors.
Led by Kiran Jandu, a professor of fine arts and MFA candidate at UMass Amherst, this playful hour of making will blend the magic of tiny fairy chairs with STEAM/STEM-inspired thinking. Using clay and found natural materials — twigs, moss, flowers, and stones — participants will design and build miniature fairy-sized seats that celebrate curiosity, problem-solving, and the joy of creating something together.
This event is more than just an afternoon of fun — the designs crafted on May 2 will help inspire Kiran’s full-scale public bench sculpture, coming to Lake Wallace in Fall 2025. No experience is needed, and all materials will be provided. Just bring your imagination!
The upcoming bench sculpture is funded by the Belchertown Cultural Council (BCC), a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Creative Nature Photography
2025-05-03 09:00 - 12:00 | Parks & Recreation, 66 State Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Registration required, click here to sign up.
Learn how to capture beautiful images of nature in this series of photography workshops. Belchertown’s abundant natural resources offer limitless opportunities for creating amazing photos. Through these workshops, you’ll gain an understanding of photography fundamentals, and then go into the field to apply what you’ve learned. All levels of photographers are welcome, as are all types of cameras (including smartphones). Attend one or all workshops. All sessions are free to attend.
Open to Adults & Teens!
The ViewFinder workshop series is sponsored by the Clapp Memorial Library and the Town of Belchertown’s Creative Economy Committee, with support from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library. For more on ViewFinder, visit https://clapplibrary.org/art-in-the-library/viewfinder/
Introduction to Basic Photography on Saturday, April 26 with Ed Comeau and Creative Nature Photography on Saturday, May 3 with Mark Lindhult will meet at the Belchertown Recreation Department, 66 State Street, Belchertown. The Art of Smartphone Photography workshop on Saturday, May 10 with Linda Repasky will meet at the Les and Terry Campbell Visitor Center at Quabbin Reservoir, 100 Winsor Dam Road, Belchertown
ViewFinder Workshop List – click here to sign up:

Saturday, April 26: Introduction to Basic Photography, 9am-12pm
Saturday, May 3: Creative Nature Photography, 9am-12pm
Saturday, May 10: The Art of Smartphone Photography: Nature and Landscape, 9am-12pm

Acres of Clams Documentary Screening
2025-05-03 14:30 - 16:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Saturday, May 3 at 2:30pm, the Clapp Memorial Library will host a screening of the documentary, Acres of Clams. Eric Wolfe’s Acres of Clams is a feature-length video history of the Clamshell Alliance’s direct-action campaign against the Seabrook nuclear plant in the 1970s. Acres of Clams combines archival film footage and music with the personal remembrances of the activists themselves to reveal how disciplined nonviolence can have an out-sized impact on the world – when people take action together. The screening will be immediately followed by a Q&A/discussion of the film with Cliff McCarthy and Sharon Tracy of the Clamshell Alliance.

CANCELLED: Intro to Nature Photography for Kids at the School Gardens
2025-05-03 16:00 - 17:30 | Chestnut Hill Community School, 59 State St, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Program cancelled due to weather forecast and low registration
Learn how to capture beautiful images of nature in these photography workshops. Come for a short presentation and then go outside to explore for hands-on photography. You will gain an understanding of photography fundamentals, and then apply what you’ve learned. Attend one or both workshops. If you attended the Lake Wallace program, you are welcome to join us at 4 pm for the presentation or meet us at the School Gardens around 4:15 pm.
Geared towards photographers 5 & up. Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver. Dress for the weather. Bring a camera or smartphone or take turns borrowing one of the Library’s cameras. There will also be some phone microscope lenses to borrow that can be used with most smartphones. Holly Fields and Meru Causeway will be our instructors, and Louise Levy and Jennifer Whitehead will help when we break up into groups. Come take a different look at the beautiful nature Belchertown has to offer.
The ViewFinder workshop series is sponsored by the Clapp Memorial Library and the Town of Belchertown’s Creative Economy Committee, with support from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.
Intro to Nature Photography for Kids at Lake Wallace on Tuesday, April 22 will meet at the Belchertown Recreation Department, 66 State Street, Belchertown. Intro to Nature Photography for Kids at the School Gardens on Saturday, May 3 will meet at the Swift River Elementary pavilion, 57 State Street, Belchertown
Workshop List
Tuesday, April 22: Intro to Nature Photography for Kids at Lake Wallace, 9:30am-11am
Saturday, May 3: Intro to Nature Photography for Kids at the School Gardens, 4pm-5:30pm

Free Food Friday
2025-05-09 14:00 - 15:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Teens are invited to the library after school on the second Friday of the month for free snacks as they visit and use the library! Students must be in grades 7-12 and arrive between 2:00-3:30PM for a free snack, courtesy of the library, as supplies last. This program is funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Teen Crafternoon: Upcycled Planters
2025-05-09 15:30 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Teens in grades 7-12 are invited to the library to upcycle tea tins into planters just in time for Mother’s Day! Share your new houseplant or keep it for yourself, the choice is up to you! This program will take place Friday, May 9th from 3:30-4:00PM on the front lawn of the library, except in the case of rain in which the program will be moved to the Activity Room. Plants are limited. Email clapplibrarytab@gmail.com to register.

The Art of Smartphone Photography: Nature and Landscape
2025-05-10 09:00 - 12:00 | MA
Registration required, click here to sign up.
Anyone can take a snapshot with a smartphone, but what does it take to create photos that are worthy of hanging on your walls? Learn how to elevate your smartphone photos from meh to stunning with a Clapp Memorial Library program on Saturday, May 10th from 9am-noon at the Les and Terry Campbell Visitor Center at Quabbin Reservoir. We’ll cover smartphone camera basics, as well as tips for creating compelling images. Learn how to find interesting scenes and subjects that can lead to breathtakingly beautiful photos, with many examples that can provide ideas and inspiration. A Department of Conservation and Recreation staff member will be on hand to discuss the wide range of wildlife and natural resources at Quabbin Reservoir. We’ll finish by heading outdoors to try out some of the ideas covered during the workshop. What you’ll need: just bring your smartphone. Instructor: Linda Repasky
Open to Adults & Teens!
Location: Les and Terry Campbell Visitor Center at Quabbin Reservoir, 100 Winsor Dam Road, Belchertown, MA
The ViewFinder workshop series is sponsored by the Clapp Memorial Library and the Town of Belchertown’s Creative Economy Committee, with support from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library. For more on ViewFinder, visit https://clapplibrary.org/art-in-the-library/viewfinder/
ViewFinder Workshop List – click here to sign up:

Saturday, April 26: Introduction to Basic Photography, 9am-12pm
Saturday, May 3: Creative Nature Photography, 9am-12pm
Saturday, May 10: The Art of Smartphone Photography: Nature and Landscape, 9am-12pm

Bio: Linda Repasky is a Belchertown resident who enjoys capturing the beauty of local natural resources with her iPhone. She particularly enjoys exploring around the Quabbin Reservoir, as well as pursuing macro photography to capture the tiny details in nature that are so easy to overlook. Her iPhone photos have received recognition in numerous international photography competitions. Her iPhone photos can be seen at: https://www.instagram.com/lindarepaskyphotography/

RPG Night - Lost Mountain Saga
2025-05-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Break out your dice and join us for a monthly game!
Our current RPG campaign, Vaesen: The Lost Mountain Saga & Other Tales, is a dark Gothic setting steeped in Nordic folklore and the old myths of Scandinavia! Dive into mysteries where old struggles against the new, and myths come alive.
Players can expect to encounter ancient mysteries, old Nordic folk tales, social intrigue, and unspeakable horrors lurking in every shadow as they travel across the North and slowly uncover the truth.
Our RPG campaigns meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday from 6-8PM.
Space is limited! Email tmannino@cwmars.org to ask about seats at the table, future campaigns, or other any questions.
Previous campaigns include Spelljammer (Dungeons & Dragons) and Ghostbusters: a Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game!
Program is for adults 18+, our Teen RPG programs are listed separately.

Wonder Women, Super Girls, and Villainous Vixens
2025-05-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
There’s been a lot of attention paid to female comics fans in the last few years, but the truth is women have always been part of superhero storytelling. We’ll explore the importance of female heroes and the women who brought them to life in the larger history of American superhero comics.
This program is funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Visit us at the Umbrella of Wellness Fair!
2025-05-17 12:00 - 14:00 | Chestnut Hill Community School, 59 State St, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library will have a table at BOAT’s Umbrella of Wellness Fair on Saturday, May 17th! Visit our table in the CHCS Gymnasium from 12:00-2:00PM before listening to VIVE18, the featured speaker. Learn about the library’s free services, pick up a booklist of recommended reads, and enter our raffle to win one of three self-care kits! We look forward to seeing you!

Plant Swap
2025-05-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Bring a plant (or not!) to the library and swap it for a new one. Program takes place on the library lawn. Monthly on the third Tuesday of the month from May to September.
This program is funded by the Belchertown & Around Plant Swap

Library Closing: Memorial Day 2025
2025-05-26 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Library will be closed in observation of Memorial Day

Belchertown Community Hand Bell Choir
2025-05-27 19:30 - 20:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Belchertown Community Hand Bell Choir will be performing a free concert at the Clapp Memorial Library. They have been playing and presenting concerts for over 40 years.
This volunteer musical group is led by Bill McClure and plays several different styles of music from religious to pop. They enjoy “ringing,” rehearsing, and sharing their music with others in the community.
We hope you’ll join us at this musical performance.

Teen Book Club
2025-05-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library has started a book club for teens currently in grades 7-12 OR entering grades 7-12 in Fall 2025! This Teen Book Club is in conjunction with the MA Teen Choice Book Awards (MTCBA), the only book award in the state selected by teens. Each month teens will read and meet to discuss one book from the nominee list. On Wednesday, May 28th from 3:00-4:00PM, teens will discuss Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the library’s circulation desk and on the hoopla app. Snacks will be provided at the meeting. Email clapplibrarytab@gmail.com with any questions.

The Marquis de Lafayette: Hero of Two Worlds
2025-06-02 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Betty Allen Chapter NSDAR presents the story of General Lafayette through the eyes of his wife. Please come and join us and learn of the importance that Lafayette played in the American Revolution and his stop in Belchertown during his Farewell Tour on June 14, 1825.
Sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution

Leveling Up: The Art of Scott M Fischer
2025-06-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Town Hall Auditorium (Lecture) and Clapp Memorial Library (Reception)
Join us for a very special evening with artist Scott M Fischer! Scott is a world-renowned fantasy artist known for (and this is the short list) Magic the Gathering card art, cover illustrations for Dark Horse Comics, mind blowing fantasy fine art, and being an amazing Belchertown community member. Scott has donated his time and talent to the Library’s Summer Reading Program – designing all of the logos – for the last 10 years!
Scott will give a lecture about his journey as an artist (and how he’s Leveled Up his artwork!) in the Town Hall Auditorium. His presentation will be followed by a reception at the Library where he’ll sign attendee’s Magic the Gathering cards and reveal the 2025 Summer Reading Program logo. You won’t want to miss this special event!
To read Scott’s article on the Muddy Colors website about his love for the Clapp Memorial Library, click here!
https://www.scottmfischer.com/

Echoes in Nature
2025-06-07 15:00 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Join singer-songwriter Jess Martin and poet-naturalist Kim Hoff at the Clapp Memorial Library in Belchertown for a free afternoon of music, poetry, and connection with the wild beauty of our local landscape on Saturday, June 7 at 3 pm. Come celebrate the magic of our home ecosystems and the stories they tell through art. This one’s for nature lovers, creative spirits, curious kids, and anyone craving a little inspiration. Let’s gather, listen, reflect—and grow something beautiful together. This program is funded in part by grants from the Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, and Williamsburg Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Pride Movie Matinee: Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
2025-06-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Grab your popcorn for this program series! Mondays in June we’re showing a series of films for Pride Month in our Activity Room! Features include a black & white classic, a teen coming of age, a cross country drive, and a documentary. Snacks provided, no registration required.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2022), PG13, 1hr 40min
Based on the best-selling YA novel of the same name by Benjamin Alire Sáenz the film centers on the friendship between two teenage Mexican-American loners in 1987 El Paso who explore a new, unusual friendship and the magical road to self-discovery.
Public performance rights provided through Kanopy

Trash Gala!
2025-06-13 16:00 - 18:00 | MA
A dedication event for Belchertown’s three new Transfer Station Container Murals & a celebration of community with family activities about sustainability.
June 13th, 4-6PM at the Belchertown Transfer Station
135 Hamilton Street
Trash Fashion Contest!
Come in wearable art from upcycled materials! Show off and win prizes. Visit the Swap Shop for inspiration and materials.
Grand Prize: Transfer Station Permit.
Other prizes include Transfer Station Bags
Rain Date: Saturday, June 14th

Teen Advisory Board (NEW DATE)
2025-06-13 16:30 - 17:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library’s Teen Advisory Board will meet Friday, June 13th from 4:30-5:30PM in the library’s Activity Room for their last meeting of the 2024-2025 school year! Pizza will be provided to celebrate!
TAB is a group of 7th-12th grade students who meet monthly during the school year to propose library programming for teens, provide input on teen services, volunteer, and have fun. Teens can email clapplibrarytab@gmail.com to register.
This program is funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Cookbook Club
2025-06-13 18:30 - 19:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Friday, June 13th, 6:30PM
Do you like browsing cookbooks and trying new recipes? In the Cookbook Club, we each make a recipe from a cookbook and bring it for everyone to try. Taste, enjoy, and chat with your new cookbook friends!
Registration & confirmation required. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/SW89vY1PjHPSvBkL9
Program limited to 15 participants.
Due to the high popularity of Cookbook Club and limited capacity, seats will be filled by lottery drawn from all registrants signed up by May 26th.

Building Closed: Construction & Repair
2025-06-16 - 2025-06-18 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library will be closed on Monday, June 16-Wednesday, June 18 due to safety concerns during installation of the stained glass window and new side entry. The Library will also be closed Thursday, June 19 in observance of
the Juneteenth Holiday.
Materials due while the building is closed will have their due dates automatically extended and items will remain on hold for an additional four days upon reopening.
The Pride Movie Matinee on June 16 will take place in the Town Hall Auditorium. The Belchertown & Around Plant Swap will still take place on June 17 on the library’s front lawn.

Pride Movie Matinee: Dracula’s Daughter
2025-06-16 15:00 - 16:30 | Town Hall Auditorium, 1 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Location Update: Program will take place in the Town Hall Auditorium, due to safety concerns during installation of the stained glass window and new side entry in the Library.
Grab your popcorn for this program series! Mondays in June we’re showing a series of films for Pride Month! Features include a black & white classic, a teen coming of age, a cross country drive, and a documentary. Snacks provided, no registration required.
Dracula’s Daughter (1936), 69 min
Although Count Dracula was destroyed by Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan), who is now being tried for his murder, Dracula’s daughter, the Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), is still alive — and her father’s death has brought her no closer to eradicating her vampiric thirst for blood. When attempts to free herself of the disease fail, she turns to psychiatrist Dr. Garth (Otto Kruger) for assistance, but soon finds herself struggling with the desire to make him one of the undead as well.
Dracula’s Daughter was filmed under the constraints of the Motion Picture Production Code, also known as the Hays Code. From 1934 to 1968, the Hays code was a set of guidelines designed to regulate the moral content of Hollywood films and has left a lasting impression on the visual language and coding of American cinema. In order to meet approval under the Hays Code, Dracula’s Daughter went through script revisions, costuming changes, and film edits. The Hays Code was replaced in 1968 by motion-picture rating system still in use today.
Public performance rights provided through SWANK

Library Closing: Juneteenth 2025
2025-06-19 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Library will be closed in observation of Juneteenth

Food Truck Friday
2025-06-20 16:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Join the Clapp Memorial Library on our beautiful Common for an evening of fun with live music and food trucks on June 20th, from 4-8PM. We will have crafts and activities for all to enjoy. Stop by to say hi and let us know if you need help registering for any of our summer reading programs.

Pride Movie Matinee: Kiki
2025-06-23 15:00 - 16:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Grab your popcorn for this program series! Mondays in June we’re showing a series of films for Pride Month in our Activity Room! Features include a black & white classic, a teen coming of age, a cross country drive, and a documentary. Snacks provided, no registration required.
Kiki (2017), Documentary, Unrated, 1hr 33min
25 years after “Paris Is Burning” introduced the art of voguing to the world, Kiki revisits New York City’s thriving underground ballroom scene. It’s a larger-than-life world in which LGBTQ youths of color are empowered by staging elaborate dance competitions. It’s also a safe haven for struggling, at-risk teens who find acceptance within the Kiki community. Going beyond the glamour of the balls highlights the serious challenges facing queer black and Latino youth.
Documentary is unrated, but contains discussions of difficult topics, lived experiences, and strong language.
Public performance rights provided through Kanopy

Teen Book Club (June 2025)
2025-06-25 15:00 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library has started a book club for teens entering grades 7-12! This Teen Book Club is in conjunction with the MA Teen Choice Book Awards (MTCBA), the only book award in the state selected by teens. Each month teens will read and meet to discuss one book from the nominee list. On Wednesday, June 25th from 3:00-4:00PM, teens will discuss I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the library’s circulation desk and on the Libby app. Snacks will be provided at the meeting. Email clapplibrarytab@gmail.com with any questions.

Drawstring Fabric Bag
2025-06-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
People have always needed a way to carry things along with them. There are many common shapes in bag design. Ultimately, the purpose is to help us carry our belongings with us easily.
Come get hands-on with history with Castle Nitor. Learn how to make your own Drawstring Bag. Our teachers will show you the fundamental techniques as you create your own piece of history. Learn the basics of hand sewing. We will have all the necessary supplies and tools for you to create a fun project. Enjoy a break in a different time!
This class is run by Allison, the Lady of Castle Nitor; she is a history lover who collects craft skills and loves teaching and creating a fun, relaxing environment for all. Castle Nitor helps people live fully by learning from historical daily life and bringing the arts of the past to life again.
Class is limited to 12 participants. Registration & confirmation required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/ura5YZD8kyDujb8y8
Sponsored by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.
Celebrate Summer Reading with us! Sign up at clapplibrary.beanstack.com or via the Beanstack app.
